This invention relates generally to mechanical electrical connections, and more particularly to a dual-actuating shutter safety system that protects the interior conductive contacts within a housing.
Power supplies use mechanical contacts to make a power connection between a source and a host device. The most common contact is a male plug having a pair of prongs which fit into a female power socket, which typically is rigidly fit within a wall. The male-female power interconnection is common in other power accessories, such as power adapters and chargers.
One major concern of the power interfaces is the live contacts. If a person touches the active power contacts, the person could feel a microshock tingle, and may further damage the host device. To protect the power interconnection, it is common to place a guard or barrier over the apertures of a female socket such that objects are unable to enter the interior of the power socket and touch the electrical contacts. Thus, for the power interconnection to be made, one has to remove the guard or barrier from the female power socket. (This is the common xe2x80x9cchild outlet protectorxe2x80x9d.) There are also female socket guards, particularly for wall outlets, that allow a simple action to open the apertures of the female such as twisting the guard or placing the male prongs into the guard and the prongs will move the guard and insert into the apertures to ultimately contact the conductive power contacts.
Due to the safety concerns, many governmental organizations, like the Underwriter""s Laboratories, xe2x80x9cULxe2x80x9d, have safety requirements of power interconnections. The safety criteria may include a minimum distance between a live contact and any exterior opening or aperture of the adapter housing. Moreover, safety regulations may also require a covering for the apertures of female power sockets that retards the entry of objects into the housing to contact the conductive contacts. One further common regulation is the limitation of the extent that the prong can extend outside of the housing while in live contact with the conductive contact in the interior of the housing. Other regulations include a minimum cover resistance force.
Accordingly, it would be advantageous to create a shutter safety system that can block the apertures of a female power housing and which will allow objects, such as prongs, to pass and contact the conductive contacts only upon force being exerted on the shutters. Such system should also allow the prongs to be substantially within the housing prior to contacting the conductive contacts, and thereby conducting current, to comply with existing safety regulations. It is thus to the provision of such an improved shutter safety system that the present invention is primarily directed.